Dust mop receptacle with mop cleaning brushes



April 30, 1957 K. O'DOWD 2,790,192

DUST MOP RECEPTACLE WITH MOP CLEANING BRUSHES Filed June 1, 1955 L a Hie I K. O'Dowd INVENTOR.

WW 12m States PatentOflice DUST MOP RECEPTACLE WITH MOP CLEANING BRUSHES Lottie K. ODowd, High Bridge, N. J.

Application June 1, 1955, Serial No. 512,390

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-160) This invention relates generally to cleaning devices, and is more particularly concerned with a device which may be carried around the house and accommodates the insertion therein of a dust mop wherein the dirt debris collected by said mop will be readily and expeditiously removed and deposited in said device.

Further objects of invention in conformance with that set forth above is to provide in a dust mop cleaner mutually cooperating brush elements contained within a portable container for receiving a dust mop therebetween whereupon reciprocal movement of said dust mop attains ready and expeditious cleaning of said dust mop.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view partly broken away of the novel dust mop cleaner showing the cover member in a raised position and the relative positioning of the cooperating cleaning brushes;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view with portions broken away for clarity showing the relative position of a dust mop between the cleaning brushes when the container lid is closed.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Indicated generally at is a dust mop cleaner which includes a lower rectangular debris receiving portion 12 which includes side walls 14 and 16 connected by end walls 18 and 20, further including a suitable bottom member 22.

Hingedly secured to the upper edge 24 of the end 18 by means of suitable hinges 26 is a rectangular lid mem ber 28, said hinges being secured to an end member 30 thereof, and said lid further including side members 32 and 34 and a top member 36. The top member 36 includes a longitudinal slot 38 for reciprocably receiving therebetween the handle 40 of a dust mop 42. Secured in depending relationship from the forward end 44 of the top member 36 are a pair of spaced hinged end members 46 being secured on opposite sides of the slot 38 of the top member thus defining the downwardly directed open portion 48 which is a continuation of the slot 38 in the top member. The members 46 are secured at the edge 44 by means of double-acting hinges 50 of conventional character which are suitably secured in recesses 45 in said members 46 and more or less retain the members 46 in a substantially vertical position. Movement of the dust mop 42 past these members 46 is permitted by the hinges 50 whereupon after the brush has been passed thereby the members 46 again assume their vertical position.

A readily disposable receptacle 52 which may be of paper for example is provided in the bottom portion 12 of the mop cleaner, as seen in Figure 1, said receptacle conforming to the inner dimensions of the bottom member.

Extending between the side walls 14, 16 are a pair of laterally spaced rotary brushes 54 and 56 which are suitably supported in an elevated position above the receptacle 52 and transversely of the slot 38 by means of a central twisted wire cable 58, see Figure 4, which is upset at the end to provide retention of the brushes within suitable apertures 60 in said side walls.

Extending between the side walls 32 and 34 of the top member in a position overlying the rotary brushes 54 and 56 are a pair of oppositely disposed V-shaped fixed brushes 62 having their ends 64 terminating in alignment with the slot 38. These brushes are mounted on suitable flexible wires 66, see Figure 2, and will permit the separation between the brushes when the handle 40 of the dust mop is passed therebetween. The brushes 62 may be secured to their respective side walls in any suitable manner.

The use of the device is believed obvious, the mop 42 being inserted past the ends 46 of the top member whereupon the brush is moved back and forth across the top of the brushes 54 and 56 and underneath the brushes 62, whereupon debris and dirt are removed from the dust mop 42 and deposited upon the removable container or receptacle 52 for subsequent disposal.

It is believed readily apparent that there has been heretofore disclosed a readily usable and highly utilitarian dust mop cleaner fully conforming with the objects of invention heretofore set forth.

Various positional directional terms such as front, top, bottom, etc., are utilized herein to have only a relative connotation to aid in describing the device and are intended to be interpreted as requiring any particular orientation with respect to any external elements.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A dust mop cleaner and receptacle for dust mops comprising a rectangular open top bottom member having side and end walls, rotatable brush means extending between the side walls of said bottom member, a rectangular top member having a top "wall and side walls and also having end walls one of which is hingedly secured to one end wall of said bottom member for opening and closing of said bottom member by said top member, said top member including an open longitudinal slot therein terminating in the other end wall of said top member, said slot being in overlying relation to said rotatable brush means, and fixed brush means secured between the side walls of said top member and terminating adjacent the slot of said top member for permitting passage of a dust mop handle therebetween, said rotatable brush means comprising a Patented, Apr. 30, 1 9.57

Pa P ...:19 .i ly a d e a rus elements, transversely disposed relative to the slot of said top memher, and said fixed brush means comprising a pair of V- shaped brushes having spaced end portions secured to the side walls of said top member, said V-shaped brushes each 5 converging toward said slot and terminating in alignment therewith.

2. A dust mop cleaner and receptacle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the other of said end walls of said top member includes adjacent theslot a pair of downwardly 10 1,914,295

depending end members hingedly secured by hinges yieldingly retaining said end members in the vertical position and defining a continuation of the slot of said top member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Maibaum June 21, 1908 Reynolds Dec. 27, 1932 Riley June 13, 1933 

